A Liberal Democrat MP has called for the government to ban non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) earlier than September, following the conviction of comedian Russell Brand, who was sentenced to 10 and a half years in prison for one count of rape and three sexual assaults against four separate women.
On BBC Question Time, the opening topic centred on safeguarding women from men in positions of power. The panel, hosted by Fiona Bruce from Exeter, included defence minister Luke Pollard, Conservative shadow AI minister Ben Spencer, Liberal Democrat Layla Moran, Matt Goodwin from Reform UK, and comedian and podcaster Deborah Frances-White.
Moran's call for earlier NDA ban
After Deborah Frances-White recounted her experience with a man at a showbiz Christmas party, Layla Moran addressed the issue of NDAs. She said: "I would love to tell you that it is just this industry but we know full well it isn't."
She added: "At the moment it is still possible to have non-disclosure agreements that are silencing these victims, these are still possible to do. The government has agreed to ban them. It's not enforced yet but I hope that they will do it sooner than later - they say September, I think they can go earlier."
Moran concluded: "We cannot have people being paid off, women's silence, should not and cannot be bought."
Deborah Frances-White's account
Deborah Frances-White described attending a major showbusiness Christmas party as a plus one, where a "high profile man" put his face into her cleavage and moved his head back and forth. She said: "And he just kept walking. And he just didn't introduce himself, there was no flirtation, nothing. He just kept going like I was a vending machine and I just was so shocked."
She added: "I knew full-well if I made a complaint I would be asked to leave the party, there's no question." She described how he later "put his tongue in my mouth, he never said a single word to me."
Reflecting on the episode, she said: "It's kind of a weird sticky feeling that stays with you but I don't feel massively traumatised, but many women would and especially if someone has been assaulted before it would be extremely triggering." She concluded: "We need to make it more expensive to harbour predators."
Panel responses
Matt Goodwin, Reform MP, said: "I think it's important we acknowledge the bravery and the courage of the women who have spoken up and spoken out about these particular cases." He added: "This is not about Reform UK this is about a problem that is endemic in our society." When asked if he agreed with Nigel Farage that this is how all men banter, he replied: "No I don't, that's not my view."
Luke Pollard, defence minister, said: "This is a really important moment this week, it's a watershed moment where someone rich and powerful when a system was designed to protect them was held accountable for their actions." He added that viewing it as a "bad apple" would let down victims and people in every workplace where power can be used to intimidate or abuse.
